Saving Benson
by Liv Cassidy
Summary: Detective Olivia Benson has been abducted. Can her boyfriend, her current partner, and her former partner set their differences aside to find her before it's too late?
1. Chapter 1

**A/N - This story is a mix of plot bunnies I've had for some time now. A huge portion of this story is based off actual BTS pictures that have been posted on Twitter. Yes, Elliot also returns in this story. Yes, I know he's not actually returning to the show. This also isn't your typical "Elliot returns story." I'll leave it at that. Enjoy!**

* * *

5:00 A.M. EDT, Tuesday

Olivia Benson's apartment was the scene of a brawl. Her furniture and furnishings had been knocked around everywhere. A lamp had landed on top of her, which resulted in her bruised face. She had spent the night sitting with her hands cuffed behind a chair, and her mouth duct taped shut. Her bedroom clock had been knocked over and unplugged, so she had no idea of how much time had passed. Lewis had pulled the blinds shut. He'd vanished, leaving her tied up.

A photo of her and her former partner, Elliot Stabler, was lying sideways on her bed. Next to it was a can of 5K Krazy that Lewis had carelessly tossed aside.

Her face was stained with tears. Then, a dark shadow fell over the bed frame, and Lewis appeared.

"Who keeps callin', sweetheart?" He held her cell phone in his hand, which she'd left on the kitchen counter with her bags. The phone had been set to vibrate, so she hadn't heard it ringing. Obviously, Lewis had noticed it. He grinned widely, looking through her messages. Then, he threw her phone on the floor and hovered his foot over the cell phone. "Just gettin' started here." He stomped his foot hard.

He grabbed onto her wrists and began untying her. His grip was tight on her wrists. Too strong for her to get loose, no matter how hard she tried. He held the gun up to her head and whispered eerily, "It's time for a field trip."

* * *

Her cell phone went straight to voicemail this time. Even though that meant her cell phone was off, Brian Cassidy proceeded to leave a message.

"Look, Liv, I know you have every right to be mad at me, but you can't avoid me forever," Brian heaved a sigh into his phone. "Please, just call me back. I'm sure you're swamped at work, but I just want you to hear me out. I don't want us to be over. Call me back soon, please? Things will be different. You're right, I was being selfish."

He tightly closed his eyes for a moment, and then he let his eyes wander around the deserted, desolate Bronx Courthouse. Brian had been on duty since eleven o'clock and was due to get off at six-thirty. It had been a quiet night, since very few others were on duty. He was the only one in the security booth. The night shift at the Bronx Courthouse was quite a bore. Hardly anyone came in or out of the courthouse. He was only there to ensure there were no trespassers. Nobody in his or her right mind wanted to work the graveyard shift. On the nights Liv didn't work, he often called and talked to her for hours while he was on duty. Talking to her always made his shift go faster. He hadn't spoken to her in nearly twenty-four hours now, and he hated himself for their last conversation.

"_You only think of yourself," she accused irritably. It was Monday morning, and she had to be to court at eight in the morning. She was still asleep when he'd gotten in the shower. He'd stepped out of the shower to find her standing, in his shirt, with her arms crossed and a very stern look on her face. She was pissed. _

"_Well, Gee, Liv. You were sleeping and I wanted a shower. What, did you expect me to do?" he asked. "Wake you up and ask if you wanted in the shower first?" _

"_You knew I had to be to work early," she growled. "You're so fucking selfish, and honestly I'm sick of it. It's not just about the shower, Brian. It's about everything else too. Every time I want to do something, you have an excuse. You have an excuse for everything. It's all about you, you self-centered asshole." _

"_Oh, is that what you think?" Brian rolled his eyes. "What about the long hours you're at work, and I'm left wondering when you're going to come over? Half the time you show up unannounced. And I'm the selfish one? You're kidding me. You know what, Liv .You said you'd changed, but you lied to me. You're the same presumptuous Olivia Benson you were fourteen years ago." _

"_Presumptuous, huh?" she gasped then shot, "What'd you do? Look that word up to impress me?"_

"_Oh, you know it. I read the fucking dictionary everyday looking for words to impress you with. I gotta say this, Liv. If you're not happy with me, why do you stay with me? I'm beginning to think you're just using me for sex."_

"_You're a fucking idiot," she scowled, clenching her fists. "You know what? I can shower at the precinct. I'm done with you."_

And that was the last time he'd talked to or seen her.

Like many Americans in 2013, Olivia had chosen to do away with her landline a few months ago, so the only method of contacting her was through her cell phone. It made sense, anyway, because she always had cell phone on her. She hardly turned it off, unless it was dead. Was it possible she'd caught a tough case and hadn't had a chance to charge her phone? He pushed that thought out of his head. In her line of work, she needed to be able to be reached as quickly as possible. Had she gone undercover without telling him? He, of all people, knew that there were things that came up out of the detective's control.

They didn't talk about work often. She preferred not to bring her work home. Instead, most of their time was spent in the bedroom. Though, lately, all of their conversations had turned into arguments.

He wanted to fix that. If she only would let him.

He hated to go to the precinct. He knew that her partner strongly disliked him, and he'd be subject to snide remarks. He hadn't spoken to Nick since they'd helped each other out last spring. Brian knew it was time that they both grew up and started talking to each other like men, not boys.

Brian understood that Olivia needed her space. If they were meant to be together, then she would come around. She always did. This wasn't their first major fight, after all. They'd always figured it out in the past. He tried to tell himself that this time wouldn't be different. Brian couldn't imagine his life without her. She had no idea how she completed him. She had no idea how happy she made him. She had no idea that he loved her unconditionally, even if he was horrible at telling her so. He was afraid to tell her. He was terrified to unveil his true feelings to her. He hadn't even used the "l" word with her yet, though he wanted to so desperately. He didn't want to lose her. A day without her was like a year without rain.

Brian had waited fourteen years for her. He didn't want to wait another day for her. He just needed to talk to Olivia in person, even if it meant going to her precinct when he was off work. He was already running on twenty hours without sleep. What were a few more? Sleeping without her by his side was always a struggle. Brian only wanted to hold her in his arms again.

* * *

7:00 A.M. EDT, Tuesday

Detective Nick Amaro had just entered the 16th Precinct at the Manhattan Special Victims Unit. He held a bottle of water in his hand and an orange. He knew that he wasn't like most detectives, because he didn't drink coffee and he didn't eat donuts. His partner often teased him about it.

"A cop who doesn't eat donuts? How can I trust you?" she'd asked him when he had first confessed that he wasn't a donut eater.

Nick sensed there was more to Liv's lack-of trust toward him than his taste in food and drink. He tried not to let it get to him, but it was a feeling that Nick had been battling since he had first come to SVU nearly two years ago. He wanted his partner to trust in him and know she could count on him, but Olivia Benson was one tough cookie. He was normally good at reading people, but he struggled to read her.

He understood she had been partners with her last partner for over twelve years. He didn't know Stabler personally, but he'd seen a picture of him in her apartment. Fin had told him that he and Benson had always been in sync, and that Benson trusted him more than anyone else in the office. He'd left without a word to her, leaving her hurt. Nick didn't know the guy, but he hated him. He hated him for hurting Olivia, but he also hated him because Olivia had trusted him. Nick had vowed to himself to give him a piece of his mind if he ever encountered Stabler in person.

Nick settled in his chair and turned on his computer just as John entered the precinct.

"Hey, Munch, where have you been?" Nick greeted the sergeant, who had been AWOL for two weeks.

"Using up my fifty years of accumulated vacation time," Munch answered with a grin on his face. "The route you're going, Amaro, you'll have just as much time as I do when you get to my age. Hey, where's Benson? She's normally here by now."

"She's home until Wednesday. I told her that if she showed up at the precinct, I'd have her arrested," Cragen answered from behind. He was holding a cup of coffee in one hand and a large Krispy Kreme donut in the other.

Nick had turned his attention to his fully-booted computer just as Brian Cassidy stormed in the precinct. He was holding a bouquet of flowers in his hands. Had he missed the memo that Benson was off?

"Are those for me?" John smirked, greeting his former partner. "You really shouldn't have, sweetheart."

"Haha, you're really funny, John. Where's Liv? I've been trying to get ahold of her, but her cell phone is off. I figured she would be here." Brian's eyes appeared to be searching the precinct for Olivia.

"She didn't tell you? I sent her home for two days." Cragen announced then commented, "Strange that her phone's off." Nick quickly turned his attention to his computer and loaded his web browser. He logged into Twitter and checked Olivia's profile. Her last tweet had been over a week ago. Nick then investigated her Facebook profile. Normally she had a mobile chat icon by her name, but that icon was absent since her phone was turned off. Her last post had been two weeks ago. There was no evidence of her on social media.

"Hm, well, she hasn't tweeted or Facebooked recently," Nick announced to the room.

"That's nothing to be alarmed about," John pointed out. "She's rarely online anyway. I'm on Twitter more than she is, and I'm an old fart." He reached out and patted Brian's back. "I'm sure Olivia's just taking some time to herself. Women apparently need that."

Brian sulked. "You see, we had a fight, and I haven't talked to her since."

"You had a fight?" Nick asked, remembering how upset Benson had appeared the day before. Now it all made sense.

"Not that it's any of your business, Amaro," Brian growled. "But yes, I haven't spoken to her since yesterday morning when she stormed out of my apartment."

"Have you tried going to her apartment?" Nick offered. "If you want, I could go with you."

"I figured she'd be here, so that's why I came here. You don't have to, Amaro."

"It's thanks to you that my son isn't being raised by a drug dealer. C'mon, Cassidy. I owe it to you. Let me go with you. I'm sure there's a reasonable explanation for Olivia's phone being off." Nick knew that he and Cassidy had a past. Nick still wasn't particularly fond of Cassidy, but he'd helped him out and that meant the world to Nick; although technically they'd helped each other out. Though, it had been Brian's idea. Nonetheless, Nick had a feeling that something wasn't right with Liv and he wanted to check on her himself.

Brian finally agreed to allow Nick to go with him to Olivia's apartment. The men pounded on Olivia's apartment but received no answer.

"Does she have any family that she would go visit?" Nick asked Brian. She didn't talk about her family much. He'd only recently learned that she was the product of rape. He knew that she had a half-brother.

"Just her brother. Her mom's been dead for over a decade, and she never knew her father. She's never mentioned any aunts or cousins," Brian told him. "Something's not right, Nick. I have a bad feeling."

"I think you're right, Brian," Nick nodded. "Let's break down the door." He kicked in his partner's apartment door and was soon alarmed by what he saw. It looked as if a tornado had ripped through her apartment. Olivia Benson and her abductor were nowhere in sight.

* * *

7:00 A.M. CDT, Tuesday

The birds' harmony never seemed to get old for Elliot Stabler. He would sit on his porch for hours and listen to the birds chant to each other. It was a luxury he hadn't had in the city. Traffic noises attacked the natural sounds. He'd grown up in New Jersey, not far from the ocean. While his childhood had not been blissful, Elliot somehow always had appreciated the sound of nature. As he'd grown older, now forced to leave his past behind, he appreciated it more now than ever before.

No one in Iowa knew him as Elliot Stabler. He was known as Drew Blair, who had been born and raised in Massachusetts and had moved to small town Iowa as a businessman with his wife, Donna Blair, and five-year-old son, Aaron Blair. The rest of their family had been left behind. Elliot had requested that his older children enter the program with them too, but Elizabeth, Richard, Kathleen, and Maureen had all refused the protection. After all, they were all over eighteen.

Elliot had never expected to end up in witness protection. It all started when a man by the name of Lou William had attempted to kidnap Kathy from work just days after Elliot had shot and killed Jenna. Luckily, she had escaped. She'd described her attacker to the police, and Lou had been picked up. While awaiting trial, he had made various threats toward Elliot and his family, insisting that his "gang" would come after Elliot. That Elliot and his family would never be safe.

That's how Elliot became Drew, and how he and his family landed in small town Iowa, just minutes away from one of the largest Iowa cities - if you could consider it a city. New York City had a population of over 8 million people. The nearest "city" to him now had barely 70,000 people. It hadn't been an easy adjustment for Elliot.

He'd almost blown his cover last summer when two cousins had gone missing from their town. The FBI had been brought in to investigate and had set up their station at the local elementary school. Elliot found himself joining the search party for the girls. He found himself following the police everywhere, offering his expertise. He'd even been asked if he had been a police officer in a former life.

Sadly, he hadn't been able to help find the girls alive. The police wouldn't release pertinent details to him because he was "only" a civilian. The girls had been found about forty-five minutes from where they'd gone missing. Hunters had discovered their decaying bodies in the woods. It was a sad story for the whole town. The even sadder part was the killer hadn't been found yet.

The story sickened Elliot and made him realize how much the missed SVU. How much he missed Olivia. But he knew he was there for his family's safety.

Not long after the girls' bodies were discovered, Elliot received a message that Lou had escaped from prison.

He left his porch to turn on the Today Show. He was an avid watcher of the Today Show and the World News. Often times the newscasts would talk about what was happening in New York. He liked to keep up-to-date with his hometown. Occasionally, he would hear mention of the Special Victims Unit. Once, he'd seen an interview with Olivia and her new partner, a guy named Nick Amaro. He'd never met Amaro, but he'd gotten a good vibe from the interview. He was pleased to see that her new partner appeared genuine.

Elliot had so desperately wanted to say goodbye to Olivia. She'd called him before he was forced to change his number, but he'd never gotten a chance to respond. Unfortunately, he wasn't allowed to contact anyone from his old life - not even his own mother. He'd disappeared into thin air. Though, he'd managed to send her his Marine Semper Fi medallion. He hoped that she wasn't too upset with him, and that message would give her the closure she needed. That she would be "Always faithful."

He was broken from his thoughts when a picture of his former partner flashed across the television screen. The word "MISSING" was in big red letters above her face.

"THIS JUST IN. DETECTIVES ARE SEARCHING FOR DETECTIVE OLIVIA BENSON. NYPD HAS REASON TO BELIEVE THAT FOUL PLAY IS INVOLVED. IF YOU HAVE ANY INFO ON DETECTIVE BENSON'S WHEREABOUTS, PLEASE CALL THE HOTLINE ON THE SCREEN."

_Missing. _Elliot Stabler's stomach tensed. He blinked several times and fell off his chair, inching closer to the screen. It couldn't be Olivia. This couldn't be. But it was. Her hair was longer, and she looked fabulous. She was absolutely gorgeous, as always.

Elliot also recognized the next image that flashed on the screen.

"NYPD BELIEVES THAT THIS MAN IS BEHIND DETECTIVE BENSON'S MYSTERIOUS DISAPPEARANCE. HIS RECENT ALIAS IS WILLIAM LEWIS. HE IS 6 FOOT 5 INCHES TALL, 200 POUNDS, DARK BROWN HAIR AND BROWN EYES."

_Lou William. _

He knew right then that he would be catching the next flight to New York City. He was coming out of witness protection.


	2. Chapter 2

"No. Absolutely not. You're not going."

Elliot was plagued by Kathy's irate response. She'd just returned from dropping their son off at preschool, and he expected nothing less from her. Who could blame her? Here he was, about to throw their two years in witness protection out the window. He was about to put his entire family at risk. Yes, Elliot fully understood the consequences of flying to New York. What would he do when he got there? Of course, he would contact Captain Cragen and demand he be added to Olivia Benson's search party.

Assuming Cragen was still Captain of SVU. Elliot was well-aware of the fact that Cragen had been framed for murder nearly a year ago. He'd followed the case like a hawk; watching all the news broadcasts - online and on television. He'd read all the articles. He'd stalked all the New York newspapers' and television stations' Twitter pages on his fabricated alias's account, "Drew Blair."

All along, he'd known his former captain was innocent. The last article regarding Cragen had said that he had been reinstated at SVU, so Elliot could safely assume he was still the captain. Cragen wasn't the type to abandon his post easily unless forced. He would probably work at SVU until the day he died or was forced to retire.

"Hon, I love you with all my heart, but this is something I have to do," Elliot assured his wife. He'd packed his bags and was ready to leave.

"What exactly are your son and I supposed to do while you're out playing Superman, huh? Drew, we've spent two years building up our new identities. Two years hiding from this beast and his gang. Have you lost your mind? What if it's a trap?"

The thought had crossed his mind, too. Lewis obviously had targeted Olivia for a reason. Elliot firmly believed there were no coincidences in life. Out of everyone he'd left behind in New York, aside from his own children, Olivia had to be the one he cared for most. She'd been his partner for over twelve long years. They'd been closer than most husbands and wives, aside from the added benefits. She had been, of course, his "office wife."

Elliot cringed after Kathy had called him Drew. He and Kathy had made it a point to call each other by their aliases in private and in public. Neither wanted to risk a slip-up while in public. The hardest part had been teaching Eli his new name. Eli had only been three when they'd entered witness protection. He was just learning to spell his own name "ELI". The poor little boy had been so confused when his parents started calling him "Aaron." Kathy and Elliot had explained to him that it was his new name. It'd taken a long time for him to adjust.

The little boy had introduced himself as Eli to his preschool teacher. Elliot had had to explain to the teacher that it was just a nickname. Technically, Elliot hadn't been lying. "Eli" was Elliot, Jr.'s, nickname.

"My name is Elliot Joseph Stabler," Elliot iterated to his wife. "And you're my wife, Kathy Mae Stabler. We're the parents to Maureen Jane Stabler, Kathleen Louise Stabler, Elizabeth Marie Stabler, Richard John Stabler, and Elliot Joseph Stabler, Junior."

Kathy began sobbing. "Oh, El. I miss our kids..."

His heart radiated with warmth when he heard her call him "El."

"That's why I have to go, Kathy. The same guy who went after you has Olivia, and it's my fault. If I were still there, if I'd been there to protect her, he would have never gotten away with her. I have to be there to bring this guy to justice," Elliot explained to his wife. He wrapped her in his arms and gave her a warm, gentle kiss on her forehead. "You and Eli stay here and continue life as Donna and Aaron for now. If anyone asks, tell them I'm on a business trip - after all, I am a _businessman_."

He supposedly ran his own business from home. In reality, he spent his days stalking his former life. Olivia, Fin, and John didn't know this - but he followed them on Twitter. Olivia hardly tweeted a word. She rarely posted about her personal life, though that didn't surprise him. As far as Elliot knew, Olivia had never had one. She was married to her job, and based on her tweets, nothing had changed since he'd left. Generally, when she did tweet, she posted resources for survivors; and he admired her for that. Fin was probably the biggest Twitter whore out of all his former co-workers. John, on the other hand, was always promoting his conspiracy theories. He'd written a few books, two of which Elliot had purchased and had been waiting for the right time to read.

"Okay, go," Kathy sighed, giving her husband permission to put not only his own life on the line, but also to put their entire family's lives in jeopardy. "And Elliot?"

"Yes?"

"If you get a chance, tell Maureen, Kathleen, Elizabeth, and Richard I love and miss them."

"I will," Elliot smiled warmly, kissing his wife's soft cheek one more time. "Tell Eli goodbye for me, and be sure to give him a big hug and kiss for me."

Elliot had already looked plane tickets up online. He'd discovered that the nearest airport didn't depart for New York anytime this week. The nearest airport, which was an hour away, departed for New York in precisely two hours. Elliot was on his way back to the life he had run away from two years ago.

* * *

Reality hadn't set in yet for Nick. Nick tried to deny that all this had happened. The call to his captain had been one of the hardest he had ever made.

"_What do you mean she's missing?" _Cragen's infuriated voice still rattled in Nick's head.

Olivia's macerated apartment was all-too disturbing for Nick. Nick had sent photographs of Olivia's ruptured apartment to Cragen's cell phone. They'd called CSU and put Olivia and Lewis's photos out on the morning news. Nick knew that it was vital that they act quickly. Fin and Amanda were on their way to the halfway house to see what they could come up with.

How had Lewis managed to get into Olivia's apartment? More importantly, why hadn't they seen this coming? Did she draw her gun? Surely, she'd had her gun on her. She knew Lewis was on the prowl. He'd just been granted bail. None of them had predicted he'd go after Benson next.

Why hadn't he seen it?

"_There's no victim," Oh_, the irony in her comment from the last time he'd seen her alive.

Then a horrifying thought flashed in Nick's head.

Was Olivia Benson still alive? His stomach muscles tightened nauseatingly at the thought.

"We've got blood on the floor," Nick heard the CSU technician say and Nick's heart sped rapidly. _Blood, _Nick thought_, they said blood. _His stomach acid burned. Nick traced himself into the bedroom, where Brian was standing with a blank look on his face. He was staring at the bed, where Nick noticed a can of 5K Krazy beside a black-and-white photo of Olivia and her former partner, Elliot. Nick had last seen the photo in Olivia's living room. Was it possible she herself had moved it into the bedroom?

"Don't touch anything," Nick instructed Brian.

"What do you think I am? Stupid?" Brian growled back. "You know, you may be a detective, but I've been in law enforcement quite a few more years than you. How old are you again?"

"Age doesn't define maturity," Nick replied bitterly. He studied Brian from head to toe. His skin was pale, almost flour-like. Dark circles had blackened around his wrinkled eyes. Nick could tell that exhaustion lingered in Brian's body. There was no doubt that the officer had a few years on Detective Nick Amaro, but that meant nothing to Nick. Nick had been around, too. When Nick thought about it, he and Brian had quite a bit in common. They'd both worked in narcotics. They'd both worked undercover. Most importantly, though, they both cared about Olivia Benson.

"Yeah, whatever," Cassidy huffed. "For your information, I was looking at the can of alcohol. 5K Krazy. The last I can recall, there wasn't a retailer in New York City that still sold that stuff. The company quit manufacturing that stuff at least three years ago."

Nick observed the can on the bed. He'd never heard of 5K Krazy. Then again, Nick was slightly picky with his booze. Beck's was his favorite.

"Okay, then," Nick began slowly. "Either we've got a retailer in town, or this guy has a stash of old booze."

"You pick," Cassidy responded dryly.

* * *

A sharp, gut-wrenching pain stabbed the pit of Brian Cassidy's stomach. He tried not to focus on the black-and-white photo, which he'd seen dozens of times, but his eyes continued to focus in on it. The photo had always sat in Olivia's living room. How had it gotten into the bedroom? Nothing made sense.

The photo featured a young Olivia, an Olivia who Brian remembered so vividly from fourteen years ago. The photo was of the woman who had shared a night in his bed then left him hanging the next day, insisting what they'd had was nothing.

"_I'm not the person I used to be," she said softly, lovingly gazing down at him as he rest in the hospital bed._

"_Sure you are, Liv."_

"_No, I'm not."_

He still remembered that moment in the hospital like it was yesterday. He'd just been shot and was on some hefty painkillers. He'd never forget what it was like when Liv unexpectedly leaned down and pressed her lips against his. His entire body had tingled with glory. His heart had raced, and it was like he had entered a utopia. The moment had seemed so surreal, yet it was so amazing.

A tear warped in Brian's right eye. She was the Olivia he'd first fell in love with her. Her pale, fair skin was flawless. Her dark brown hair was pulled back in a half ponytail, like she often wore it back then. She still did. He adored when she wore her hair like that.

Only, he wasn't the man standing next to her. He recognized her former partner, Elliot Stabler. Brian had never made a point to get to know Elliot, and quite frankly, he wasn't sorry about that. The man was a jackass, and Olivia followed after him like a sick puppy back then. Brian had gotten used to seeing the photo every time he visited Olivia's apartment, though he never insisted she take it down. He didn't want her to know it bothered him. He'd insisted on numerous occasions that she print off the dozens of selfies of Brian and her she'd taken on her phone. She said she would, but she hadn't yet. They'd been dating nearly a year, and there wasn't a single frame of them in her apartment. Yes, it bothered him like crazy.

She was the first woman Brian had fallen in love with. Then, she crushed not only his heart, but she crushed his soul. Afterward, he'd entered a deep depression. He'd lost all self-confidence in himself. He felt worthless. Suddenly, sex had no meaning to him. He'd thought what he and Liv had was special, but then it had turned out that it was "just sex" to her. He didn't know that "just sex" existed before. He'd always thought that sex was supposed to be meaningful, something only two people who cared unconditionally for each other could share. Apparently, he'd been wrong.

He tried to hold back his tears, but he couldn't. Tears gushed from his eyes. He felt so powerless, so weak. She was his everything, even though he was horrible at expressing to her his feelings. She deserved so much better than he could give her. He was battered goods, and she was a princess. Yet, she'd stood by his side that past year. She was in court every day when he was accused of rape. She claimed that she believed him, but how did he repay her for her support? He accused her of not trusting him.

It was one of many of his flaws. He couldn't trust. How could he trust? She'd hurt him once already. He'd been preparing for her to break his heart again.

_You're so selfish, _he told himself, and he knew it was the truth. Instead of enjoying her presence, he'd lived in fear. Now, her blood was on the floor. _You don't know it's her blood, _Brian tried to comfort himself, knowing the blood hadn't been processed by the lab yet. He had a gut feeling that it was indeed hers.

_You could have stopped this from happening, _he told himself. _Why didn't you take her to the damned museum like she wanted? _If he hadn't wasted so much time thinking she was mad at him; if he'd come to her apartment sooner to check on her; if he'd been a better boyfriend, none of this would have happened.

Nick was gazing at him, and a sick, twisted knot tied in Brian's stomach. _Stop, Brian, stop, _his subconscious told him. He wiped the tears from his cheek. Nick Amaro was the last person he wanted to see him cry.

"Brian, we'll find her," Nick said confidently.

"How can you be so sure?" Brian asked solemnly, rubbing his burning eyelids. "Who is this guy, anyway?"

"His name is William Lewis." Brian was startled when he heard Cragen's voice from behind.

**Up Next: Elliot reunites with the SVU team. **


End file.
